₹1274.63 crore lapsed in PRIs, ₹384.98 crore in ULBs, CAG finds

This audit examined the financial management, asset management, and implementation of specific schemes (such as SCSP/TSP) by Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in the Government of Kerala for the period ended March 2023.

Who it concerns: Government of Kerala, specifically Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).

What the auditor found

• Lapsed funds of ₹1274.63 crore in PRIs and ₹384.98 crore in ULBs during 2022-23.
• Exclusion of 995 SC/ST families from LIFE housing lists by 12 PRIs and 2,740 families by 10 ULBs.
• Idling of assets worth ₹12.12 crore, including She Lodges, Women Vyavasaya Kendrams, and rest rooms.
• Unfruitful expenditure of ₹7.50 crore on unsuitable land purchases and ₹7.96 crore due to unverified site conditions.
• Incomplete projects in Palakkad Municipality (₹14.17 crore spent) and Kochi Corporation (₹25.70 crore spent) due to lack of funds or management issues.
• Excess payment of ₹50.35 lakh in centage charges and ₹68.61 lakh in GST to accredited agencies by three ULBs.
• 82% of land assets in test-checked ULBs lacked title deeds or valid ownership records.
• 43.05% of vehicles in Corporations and 24.88% in Municipalities were idling.

Also in the document

• CAG found that 65 SC/ST settlements in 45 PRIs and 9 settlements in 9 ULBs were using contaminated drinking water.
• CAG noted that Kochi Corporation's new building remained incomplete for 17 years despite an expenditure of ₹25.70 crore.
• CAG reported that 10 PRIs and 2 ULBs ignored prescribed beneficiary-selection formulas, leading to the exclusion of 109 eligible students from scholarships.
• CAG observed that none of the 24 test-checked ULBs completed the digitization of their asset registers as prescribed by the Government.